2019 Archives for County Government

Every Monday, we give you a rundown of public meetings and civic events.

From budget cuts to a prolonged standoff between the mayor and law director, it was a year when Glenn Jacobs made his mark — and felt some pushback.

Marble City is a working-class, Demoratic-leaning section of the city along Sutherland Avenue.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

Every Monday, we give you a rundown of public meetings and civic events.

Spring Hill is a quiet section of the city that is a political battleground come election time.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

On second thought, County Commission rejects a plan for microbreweries in neighborhood commercial districts.

With the TVA tower deal sidelined for a month, County Commission votes two different ways in one meeting on what to do about an empty mall.

Every Monday, we give you a rundown of public meetings and civic events.

Responding to concerns about election integrity, the Knox County Election Commission is turning to paper ballots.

Northeast Fountain City is overwhelmingly residential in character and in politics mostly Republican.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

In a lawsuit trial, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office outlines its unusual interpretations of the state’s Public Records Act.

As the TVA tower deal advances, Knox County’s law director and mayor each double down on their positions.

Knox County Law Director Bud Armstrong says the county’s TVA tower deal could violate state and federal law. What does he mean, exactly?

Every Monday, we give you a rundown of public meetings and civic events.

The Town of Farragut is simultaneously young and historic, an affluent suburb that votes Republican.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

Believe it or not, the next local election is right around the corner. Here’s a look at county offices up in 2020.

Documents lay out proposed agreements between Knox County, the Tennessee Valley Authority and Knox County Schools for taking over the East Tower.

Every Monday, we give you a rundown of public meetings and civic events.

Heiskell in rural North Knox County is fertile ground for Republican candidates.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

Every Monday, we give you a rundown of public meetings and civic events.

In the southeast corner of the county: riverbends, a Bible college and a whole lot of Republicans.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

Knox County considers an ordinance to allow microbreweries, as craft beer looks toward the suburbs.

County Commission considers a three-year extension on a developer’s option to build out the rest of Marble Alley.

Every Monday, we give you a rundown of public meetings and civic events.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is negotiating with Ancient Lore Village executives to build resorts in Sevier County and Cherokee, N.C.

This North Knoxville area has residents with a wide range of incomes who reliably vote for Democrats.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

With free rent thrown into the mix, the move from the Andrew Johnson Building to the East Tower wins the school administration’s support.

As County Commission discusses public funding of the acclaimed music and arts festival, the lineup grows and ticket sales surge.

Every Monday, we give you a rundown of public meetings and civic events.

In West Hills, mid-century ranchers, a fiercely protective neighborhood association, and a Republican electorate shifting toward the center.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

Knox County invests in new technology to survey and rate the state of its highways.

Every Monday, we give you a rundown of public meetings and civic events.

On the University of Tennessee campus, voters are young and mostly Democratic — although the sororities lean Republican.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

On a tour of TVA’s East Tower, County Mayor Glenn Jacobs makes the case for leasing the vacant building — even if the school board isn’t interested.

Every Monday, we give you a rundown of public meetings and civic events.

Our latest survey of local community leaders shows strong support for Knox County’s proposed lease of the vacant East Tower.

The Knox County Sheriff’s pretrial release program has doubled its caseload this year, keeping hundreds more people out of jail. Is it enough?

Lying between Oak Ridge and Knoxville in Northwest Knox County, Solway is a rural community friendly to Republican candidates.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

Political jousting over a pension lawsuit puts County Commissioner Richie Beeler in the spotlight — or the crossfire.

Every Monday, we give you a rundown of public meetings and civic events.

North of I-640, a once reliably Republican collection of middle-class postwar neighborhoods is trending toward the center.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

A Sunday open house at the would-be fantasy resort Ancient Lore Village provides competing narratives from developers and local residents.

Every Monday, we give you a rundown of public meetings and civic events.

Ball Camp and its sprawling subdivisions make up the heart of a suburban precinct full of reliably Republican voters.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

Planning commissioners are poised to approve a plan to address infrastructure needs in Hardin Valley, Knox County’s fastest-growing area.

Sheriff Tom Spangler had a busy first year that put him and his department in multiple spotlights. We sat down to talk to him about it.

Every Monday, we give you a rundown of public meetings and civic events.

Knoxvillians who live between Pond Gap and Middlebrook Pike in West Knoxville tend to support Democrats.

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With support from county and city leaders, a proposal to reduce restrictions on rural development clears its first hurdle.

In voting last week, Knox County Commissioner Charles Busler did not disclose his daughter and son-in-law’s participation in a lawsuit against the county.

Every Monday, we give you a rundown of public meetings and civic events.

In the heart of East Knoxville, a district full of African-American history and Democratic voters.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

A citizen lawsuit seeks to revive county Law Director Bud Armstrong’s allegations of impropriety in Knox County pension payments.

Knox County Schools Superintendent Bob Thomas objects to plan to move Central Office, questions county’s numbers.

Every Monday, we give you a rundown of public meetings and civic events.

The district that includes North Knoxville’s Lincoln Park neighborhood is more diverse, less affluent and more liberal than the county as a whole.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

Knox County commissioners say they want to take action to reduce jail crowding — but they can’t do it alone.

A study says Knox County could reduce its inmate crowding by making reforms to the local criminal justice system.

Every Monday, we give you a rundown of public meetings and civic events.

A new bureaucratic option offers an opening for Tom Boyd to realize his vision for a fantasy-themed resort in South Knox County.

Knox County officials outline a $7.5 million deal to move the school system’s Central Office and free up the Andrew Johnson Building for redevelopment.

This wealthy waterfront sector south of Farragut throws its political weight behind the Republican Party.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

Proposals for improving Chapman and Gov. John Sevier highways intersect this week at planning commission meetings.

An internal Sheriff’s Office investigation into a drunken Old City brawl leads to disciplinary actions for five KCSO employees — including the sheriff's spokeswoman.

Every Monday, we give you a rundown of public meetings and civic events.

The North Cedar Bluff precinct, home to private schools and major regional employers, leans toward the GOP.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

Why was a local LGBTQ author dropped from a young adult literature event by the Knox County Public Library?

Mark Stephens is stepping down after 29 years of fighting for the poorest defendants in Knox County, both in and outside the courtroom.

Every Monday, we give you a rundown of public meetings and civic events.

A committee including the city and county mayors selects an experienced KPD officer and county commissioner to run the emergency center.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

County Commission approves construction of a long-delayed segment of the ambitious Knox-Blount Greenway.

Every Monday, we give you a rundown of public meetings and civic events.

Half-in and half-out of the city, this South Knox district includes most of the Urban Wilderness and leans Republican.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

City and county revenue from the Hall income tax shrank last year, as the state moves toward eliminating it completely.

Every Monday, we give you a rundown of public meetings and civic events.

In its 12th year, the East Tennessee History Fair takes in everything from pioneer life to Cas Walker -- not to mention the dressed-up dogs.

Off Pleasant Ridge Road and Merchant Drive, a rolling carpet of brick ranchers and middle-income households that mostly vote Republican.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

Long planned and delayed, in the next few years the extension of Schaad Road will create a major new corridor in Knox County’s fastest-growing corner.

Each Monday, we give you a quick preview of the week ahead.

Developers abandon their bid for a higher-density development on a hillside in fast-growing Hardin Valley.

Comfortable and Republican, Northshore offers suburban living plus an urban-like residential and commercial center.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

A Mayors Summit on substance misuse presents data on the opioid epidemic, along with testimony of its toll.

In East Knoxville, an integrated, largely low-income area of the city is unified by a devotion to Democrats.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

An emblem of a place where rivers, mountains and interstates meet.

In a rare gathering, Knox County commissioners identify priorities for the future: road networks, targeted development and updated planning.

The overlooks on House Mountain survey a corner of the county that is still largely rural, and staunchly Republican.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

The city and county both fund the arts, but to different extents and with different levels of enthusiasm. What is the role of government?

A rezoning dispute finds County Commission wrestling with whether and how to allow commercial development of agricultural land.

Grassy Creek may be that rare thing -- a large greenfield development in West Knox County that everybody’s happy with.

Survey respondents are divided on the Knox County Sheriff’s Office immigration enforcement agreement with ICE.

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A Democratic fortress, the eastern part of Lonsdale has gone from mill town to melting pot.

Should development plans have an expiration date? Planning Director Gerald Green thinks so.

Blue-blooded Sequoyah Hills used to be reliably red when it came to voting. But in the Trump era, it has flipped.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

An alliance of residents and civic groups across Knox County comes together to push for better planning and infrastructure.

Republican candidates have a home in Halls, where voters flock to the GOP.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

The West Knox County town doesn’t want to be overrun by Airbnb and its ilk.

By extending a 287(g) agreement with ICE, Knox County remains one of only two agencies in Tennessee to participate in the controversial program.

This section of Northwest Knoxville is a political battleground that can swing for either major party.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs prepares for yet another arena -- book publishing. His memoir is due out in November.

Knox County Commission responds to controversy over a county employee’s anti-gay preaching with a resolution affirming the rights of LGBT people.

Pastoral subdivisions east of Fountain City have aspirational names and Republican-leaning voting habits.

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Knox County collects community input on routes for four future greenway corridors that could total 60 miles.

The Knox County Election Commission plans to buy a new voting system that will provide a paper trail for ballots.

Split between the city and the county, this precinct east of Pellissippi Parkway is a West Knox Republican stronghold.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs’ office says it will continue to provide free inspection of public records.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office says it can charge labor costs for requests to view public records. Despite long-established state law, a judge may agree.

In approving County Mayor Glenn Jacobs’ $853.1 million budget, commissioners supported a 30 percent reduction in the county’s indigent care program.

As Knox County Commission prepares to pass its 20th straight budget with no property tax increase, we look at what that means for county revenues and property owners.

Democratic candidates fare well among voters in Burlington and Chilhowee Hills in East Knoxville.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

A UT professor’s open records lawsuit against the Knox County Sheriff’s Office raises questions about access to public officials’ emails.

Representatives of residential groups call for better planning in the fast-growing, unincorporated areas of Knox County.

The Truman Day Dinner was a showcase for the women energizing Knox County Democrats for 2020.

The North Knox County suburban corridor between I-75 and Halls is a Republican stronghold.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

Knox County Commission delays action on cutting funding to healthcare providers in the indigent care program.

County Commission looks likely to defer a study to identify highway needs and options in South Knox County.

Holston Hills is the heart of a diverse, affluent urban district that leans Democratic.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

Knox County Commission appears amenable to a 30 percent reduction in the county’s indigent care program.

A Knox County public defender leads a discussion of the book ‘American Prison,’ which traces the dark history of correctional privatization.

The Knaffl-Stephens House in Burlington tops the list of endangered historic properties annually released by Knox Heritage.

The southern half of Norwood is often a political battleground but Republicans generally have the upper hand.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

Yes, Dean Rice is still a Republican and a Christian. But Tim Burchett’s former chief of staff has expansive definitions of both.

Providers say a proposed reduction in the Health Department’s indigent care program will hurt their efforts to serve the poorest residents of Knox County.

With millions of dollars on the line, local officials gear up for a campaign to encourage participation in the 2020 U.S. Census.

Most residents of the wooded subdivisions between Nubbin Ridge Road and Northshore Drive mark their ballots for the GOP.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

Knox County officials say a 30 percent cut in funding should not reduce access to services for some of the county’s poorest residents.

Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs’ first budget sticks with a proven template, but adds (and subtracts) a few flourishes.

Ritta, where most vote Republican, has two voting locations, but one is set aside for a small segment of the population.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

In his first proposed budget, Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs isn’t raising any taxes or rocking any boats.

Half industrial and half residential, this West Knoxville precinct votes Democratic two-thirds of the time.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

Knox County Commission declines to act on a proposal to remove one of its members from the Joint Education Committee.

Knox County, Knoxville and Farragut officials revisit the county’s growth plan, with an eye on development and its impact on infrastructure.

The fast-growing Hardin Valley area is mostly white, mostly Republican, and one of the most affluent districts in the county.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

Legal questions and angry words mark an effort to remove Commissioner Evelyn Gill from Knox County’s Joint Education Committee.

The city, county and school administrations will present budget proposals in the next few weeks. Here’s a look at the timelines and the issues to watch.

Advocates for a new South Knox highway see no chance of reviving the James White Parkway extension, but hope for a future option.

A Knoxville law firm has established a literacy project to improve the lives of juvenile offenders.

Older than Knoxville, Powell is a proud community that’s home to planes, Panthers and political Pachyderms.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

The new chairman of the Knox County Republican Party is a former New Jersey mayor who wants to build on the local dominance of the GOP.

Knox County Sheriff’s Office is the only agency in Tennessee to participate in the controversial 287(g) program. Immigrant advocates hope to end it.

South of I-40 around Strawberry Plains Pike, a district that is whiter, more Republican and a little less affluent than the county as a whole.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

Complaints from homebuilders lead to Knox County reassigning its building official and backing off from recently adopted codes.

Fort Sanders, Knoxville’s most densely populated neighborhood, is unique in many ways, from demographics to voting patterns.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

Crowded schools and jails, inadequate roads and sidewalks. Lamenting a lack of planning and priorities, Knox County Commissioners plan to set some.

Whether they cruise along bucolic Maryville Pike or plunge into the frenzy of Alcoa Highway, these South Knox voters drive on the right side of the political road.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

This Fountain City precinct east of Broadway is fairly evenly divided in its allegiances, though Democrats tend to get the better of their Republican rivals.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

After estimated costs triple, Knox County kills a South Knoxville bike track championed by former Mayor Tim Burchett.

Hills and hollers meet subdivisions in a rugged northwestern district, where Republicans win 3 out of every 4 votes.

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As Mayor Glenn Jacobs convenes a planning committee that hasn’t met in nearly two decades, Knox County starts to think about the future.

A report calls for a tax-funded Knox County fire department. County officials want to explore their options.

West View and West Lonsdale are working-class neighborhoods where voters easily switch between political parties.

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After less than six months on the job, Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs’ education liaison resigns.

Gibbs is entirely rural and overwhelmingly Republican

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Knox County has identified $73 million in improvements needed to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. It has a 40-year plan to address them.

In Beaumont and Western Heights, a racially diverse district leans toward Democrats (when it votes at all).

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

A change in state law means overweight trucks are paying less in fines -- with the money coming straight from local coffers.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

The east side of Cedar Bluff Road is a mix of intense commercial and residential development, with voters who zig-zag over party lines.

At a public forum, customers of Hallsdale Powell Utility District want to know why their water bills are so high.

Colonial Village anchors a middle-class South Knoxville district that splits its votes but trends Republican.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

Knox County is preparing to embark on its most ambitious planning update in a generation. On the table: growth, density, infrastructure and rural preservation.

To get more wheels on the road, Knox County allows its ambulance contractor to answer less urgent calls with basic-level service.

Knox County studies greenway corridors that could create an alternative transportation network. Meanwhile, a commissioner proposes one missing link.

Knox County Commission wants out of its state-mandated growth plan. But what would come next?

The historic neighborhoods of Fourth and Gill and Old North Knoxville have seen a lot of turnover but remain strongly Democratic.

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With $25,000 in county funding, a plan to create a museum for Knoxville’s most lauded and haunted visual artist moves forward.

As Knox County Commission prepares to settle up on legal fees for the county’s pension lawsuit, the only question is where the money comes from.

For the Rev. Harold Middlebrook and his daughter LaKenya, the fight for justice spans decades and generations.

Anchored by West Town Mall, this busy area with engaged neighborhoods leans toward Democrats.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

At the northern end of Fountain City, a densely populated and politically divided district.

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Among the issues: video visitation, lack of medical care, prolonged lockdowns and fees for commissary and communication.

Knox County’s state lawmakers return to Nashville this week with a passel of wish lists from the school board and County Commission.

From the Henley Bridge to Ijams Nature Center, this South Knoxville precinct lies along the riverfront and leans Democratic.

A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.

In 2019, County Mayor Glenn Jacobs will present his first budget and wrestle with some persistent challenges.